The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now seeking public comment on the draft Land Preservation and Recreation Plan (LPRP). This report outlines statewide priorities for land conservation over the next decade and identifies recreation needs across the state. The public comment period will remain open through June 28, 2026. For the past year, Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources asks residents and visitors enjoying coastal and tidal waterways to remain alert for marine mammals and sea turtles throughout the summer and into early fall. Dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, whales, and other marine wildlife are regular seasonal visitors to the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, the Atlantic Ocean, Read the Rest…
It was a cloudy and overcast Memorial Day Weekend, not ideal for the beach and picnics, but a great one for fishing. Anglers across Maryland enjoyed a variety of different fishing adventures. Starting Monday June 1, fishing for striped bass will get a lot easier to understand when all waters of Maryland’s portion of the Read the Rest…
All state residents and visitors can fish without needing a fishing license, trout stamp, or registration on June 6, June 13, and July 4. Annual license-free fishing days provide a unique chance to explore the state’s diverse fishing opportunities. They are also a great time for licensed anglers to introduce a friend or family member Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released its updated 2026 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered (RTE) Plants of Maryland list, an important resource reflecting significant conservation efforts by the department’s Wildlife and Heritage Service. This document, available in list-only and expanded versions, is a vital resource for botanists, researchers, naturalists, and plant enthusiasts. It contains Read the Rest…
As summer begins, there are new paths to follow, new places to explore, and old history to learn about in Maryland state parks and public lands. Throughout this past fall, winter, and spring, hundreds of rangers, engineers, builders, historians, planners, and other professionals with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources have worked to bring a Read the Rest…
Legislation modernizes DNR’s shoreline erosion loan program A new state law will remove financial barriers and make it easier for Maryland residents to build living shorelines on their property. Governor Wes Moore signed the Supporting Inclusive Community Adaptation Act into law April 14. The legislation, which was supported by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Read the Rest…
NOTE: This announcement has been updated with additional parks: Visitors planning to attend Greenbrier State Park, Gunpowder Falls State Park’s Hammerman beach area, Point Lookout, Newtowne Neck State Park, North Point State Park, Rocks State Park’s Kilgore Falls aream Rocky Gap State Park, Sandy Point State Park, and Swallow Falls State Park are required to Read the Rest…
Summer is knocking on the door with the recent hot weather and the Memorial Day weekend upon us. Increasingly, families and friends will be out fishing and enjoying quality time together.
Board also approves Program Open Space – Stateside funds for protection of 244 acres of forest in Frederick and St. Mary’s counties The Board of Public Works today approved more than $9.2 million in grants from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to local governments and a land trust for park pavilions, playgrounds, and land Read the Rest…
Thousands of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have started landing on Maryland’s shores this spring for what is believed to be the world’s oldest wildlife migration. Dating back an estimated 350 million years, the annual spawning occurs from May through July, peaking with high tides on or around the full and new moons in June. One Read the Rest…
The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, estimates a total of 349 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2026, a 46% increase over the estimate of 238 million crabs last year. The survey also estimated Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources cautions anyone who encounters a fawn to avoid disturbing it and resist the urge to feed or handle it. Removing deer from the wild and keeping them in captivity is against the law in Maryland in order to protect animal welfare and ensure public safety. Even if no adult deer are seen, Read the Rest…
Today, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Office of Governor Wes Moore, and local partners dedicated a new Maryland state park that pays tribute to a significant chapter of the state’s African American history. The newly dedicated park—Freedman’s State Park in northeastern Montgomery County—comprises a little more than 1,000 acres of park land. Restored Read the Rest…
The number of wildfires in Maryland in 2025 remained steady but total acres burned nearly doubled, largely due to arson, according to the Maryland Forest Service’s Annual Wildland Fire Report. The report covers wildfires across 3.2 million acres of land overseen by the Maryland Forest Service. In Maryland, 172 wildland fires burned 8,167 acres during Read the Rest…
All Maryland detections originated within the state’s existing management area The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that 69 white-tailed deer sampled in 2025 tested positive for chronic wasting disease, a neurological disease found in deer, elk, and moose that the department monitors annually. All the positive samples came from within the existing seven-county Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area. The deer Read the Rest…
A lot of moms celebrated Mother’s Day last weekend fishing with sons, daughters and husbands, a wonderful way to celebrate time together. There continue to be a lot of fishing opportunities this week. Fishing for black sea bass offshore of Ocean City to striped bass in the Chesapeake and freshwater fishing for a variety of Read the Rest…
New initiative will invest grant funding toward wetland restoration, living shorelines, other nature-based projects through collaboration with local and regional partners The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has launched a new initiative called Roots for Resilience: Strong Roots for a Changing Landscape to help Maryland’s Eastern Shore adapt to the growing impacts of climate change. Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission has named Lenny Rudow as the 2026 recipient of the annual Maryland Sport Fisheries Achievement Award. Rudow is an Anne Arundel County-based author and the founding editor of FishTalk magazine. Rudow is a tireless advocate for fisheries conservation and sustainability who shares information through podcasts, Read the Rest…
Spring is a season when we celebrate nature’s emergence and revival, and it’s also when we recognize its awesome and sometimes devastating power. In April, we celebrated Arbor Day with a renewed purpose to plant more trees and at the same time recognized Flood Awareness Month with goals to better protect our lives and communities. Read the Rest…
The Maryland Natural Resources Police dedicated its newest vessel, the patrol boat Harry L. George, in honor of the agency’s former second-in-command who was killed in the line of duty in 1978. During a ceremony Wednesday attended by the former lieutenant colonel’s son and daughter, Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz and NRP Superintendent Read the Rest…
Maryland anglers have a wide range of fish to target this week. The 2026 striped bass season is now open in many portions of the Chesapeake Bay. The 2026 black sea bass season is open off the shores of Ocean City. Trout are still being stocked in waters around the state, and a wide range Read the Rest…
Board also approves Program Open Space – Stateside funds for protection of forested properties The Board of Public Works today approved more than $1.8 million in grants from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to local governments for park lights, trail, and land conservation in Allegany, Baltimore, Calvert, Cecil, Dorchester, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, and Washington Read the Rest…
The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) has recognized Maryland Department of Natural Resources forester and project manager Melissa Nash as the nation’s top tree farm inspector for 2026. She was recognized at the ATFS leadership conference in Colorado this March. “Melissa has a heart for helping landowners, practicing good forestry, and building partnerships,” Maryland State Read the Rest…
